


Loving Him Was Red

by pure_shores



Series: You Were Red and You Liked Me Because I Was Blue [4]
Category: Crankiplier - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Bath Time Fluff, Bathing/Washing, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Breakfast in Bed, Cute, Domestic Fluff, Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, No Angst, No Beta, No Smut, Romantic Fluff, Sleepy Boys, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, True Love, crankiplier - Freeform, did I mention I hate tagging, it is what it is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:01:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24353998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pure_shores/pseuds/pure_shores
Summary: Ethan's staying at Mark's house with Spencer to watch over Chica whilst Mark works on his current Secret Project. Mark's been working long hours a lot and they've barely had an hour together each day. One morning Mark arrives back at his place and he's looking worse for wear so Ethan decides to give him a little pampering.
Relationships: Mark Fischbach/Ethan Nestor
Series: You Were Red and You Liked Me Because I Was Blue [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1742731
Comments: 6
Kudos: 148





	Loving Him Was Red

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't read this series from the beginning I highly recommend it because this is a whole universe going on!  
> As usual, this is a work of fiction in an alternate universe and the boys are actually in very real relationships with their girlfriends so please don't bring up shipping/fanfiction with them, okay? Great!  
> Hope you all enjoy x

For want of a better word, Mark looked like death was knocking at his window waiting to come inside and claim his soul. And all Ethan could do was sit by and watch as he worked himself ragged, night and day, on his current project. The Secret Project. The Secret Project that Ethan himself had signed a contract about promising not to leak information to the public even though he wasn’t (yet) involved in its creation. This was at the request of Mark’s lawyers, of course, because if they were going to be in a relationship then Mark was probably going to talk to him about the project at some point and they just couldn’t take any risks. Nothing personal. Whilst Mark was out working on said project, Ethan was staying at his house with Spencer to watch out for Chica and keep her company, and he had free reign of the house with just the two dogs most of the time. Sometimes Mark would eventually turn up at some ridiculous hour of the morning, but Ethan would usually always be asleep already and he wouldn’t even feel Mark sliding into bed beside him. At most, they’d get maybe an hour to talk whilst they had food at some point during the day - Mark’s work schedule at this point was not regular and so being able to eat at the same time as each other was a luxury. This went on for about a week until, one morning when Ethan was getting ready to go for a run around Mark’s neighbourhood, his boyfriend stepped in through the door after being out for at least a good twelve hours. The dark circles under his eyes and the way his body radiated exhaustion in the way he didn’t hold himself with his usual energetic, enthusiastic posture spoke more to Ethan than words could.

“Okay, Mark, stop right there,” he said in a tone unusual for him - it was one that left no room for arguments.

Startled by the command in Ethan’s voice, Mark jolted to a stop where he was kicking off his shoes, lifting his head to peer at his boyfriend as he leaned on the hand keeping his balance pressed against the wall. “Have I done something?”

“No, nothing like that. Come with me,” Ethan said, moving to take Mark’s hand - it wasn’t a request. He let Mark nudge his shoes towards the shoe rack so nobody could trip on them, then led him upstairs and to the bathroom. Once there, Ethan gently sat Mark down on the toilet with the lid down, then closed the door so there’d be no interruptions from either of their furry friends. Not right now. Maybe later they could snuggle and do their bit to make Mark feel better, but at this point in time it was  _ his _ job. He moved to press a kiss to the top of Mark’s hair, noting that he hadn’t washed it in a while, and knew that this idea of his was, in fact, perfect. “Just sit and relax, okay? I’m running you a bath.”

With a sigh, which Ethan took to be one of defeat, Mark nodded and scrubbed a hand over his eyes, “‘Kay. Thanks, Eth.” His voice was sluggish and lacking energy, and Ethan felt his heart squeeze - Mark needed to be looked after today. Chica and Spencer could watch over each other for a little while.

Giving a smile, Ethan turned on the bath taps, checking the temperature every so often. He also added some lavender bath salts and swirled the water about. Looking about the room, he opened the window a fraction and then pulled the blind closed. As the water kept filling the tub, he turned to Mark and knelt before him, “Let’s get these clothes out of the way, hmm?” His boyfriend didn’t put up a fight as Ethan moved to help get each layer of clothing off and dumped in a pile across the room. When Mark was finally naked, Ethan leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead, “Right, in you go, babe.”

“You’re not coming in?” Mark looked at him questioningly as he stood, shuffling over to sit on the edge of the bathtub, his feet sliding into the water.

“Nope,” Ethan took his sneakers off and set them by the toilet, then shuffled to sit next to Mark, but remained out of the water, “This is all for you. I’m pampering you today, no ifs, no buts.” He crossed his legs purposefully, comfortable on the tiling around the bath, and he smiled in success when Mark gave in and slid down into the warm water until only his head was above the surface. 

Sliding closer to the edge, Ethan smiled even more as Mark closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. “This is good,” his boyfriend murmured before inhaling deeply, seemingly appreciating the lavender he’d added to the bath.

“Yeah?” Ethan pressed, reaching to drift a hand idly through the water - he could definitely appreciate the smell of it himself, that was for sure.

“Yeah.” Mark sighed again, cracking one eye open, “Sorry I haven’t been around much lately.”

“Hey now,” Ethan shushed him quietly, moving his hand to stroke some hair away from Mark’s eyes, “Don’t be silly. You’re working on something amazing and I’m here to support you. Just because you’re not always here, doesn’t mean I suddenly stop feeling loved.” After this day was over and he was laying in bed with his thoughts, Ethan would probably look back on this moment and wonder to himself about how such wise and thoughtful words were spewing from his mouth. Maybe it was because Mark, usually the smart and  _ together _ person of the two of them, was out of action so his brain recognised that he needed to kick it up a notch and be the responsible one for once.

Ethan watched as Mark lifted a hand up out of the water and cupped his jaw, thumb stroking over his cheek softly. “You’re too good to me, my soft boi,” he murmured, grinning at the nickname which had Ethan blushing lightly.

“Well, I figured I’d better be nice to you for once since you’re always so good to me in bed,” Ethan teased, sticking his tongue out at his boyfriend whose eyes then scrunched closed as he laughed out loud. Ethan loved seeing Mark laugh, the way that his entire body was taken hold by the giggles as if he couldn’t function properly when he was amused. It was cute.

“Glad to know I’m good for somethin’,” Mark shook his head once the laughter had subsided, letting his hand lower back into the water.

Ethan reached for a jug and Mark’s shampoo. He poured some into the palm of his hand before sitting forward and beginning to lather up his boyfriend’s hair. Carefully and methodically he worked the shampoo through the dark locks, making sure to cover every inch and even give his scalp a little of a massage. As he scratched his fingers gently, the pleasant and familiar scent of mint from the shampoo wafted up to his nose and he had to smile. That smell was one of his favourites and was attached to so many good memories of him and Mark together, even when they hadn’t been a couple. When he was happy that Mark’s hair was thoroughly coated, he tapped his shoulder, “Sit up for me a bit, I don’t wanna get anything in your eyes, babe.”

Mark grabbed hold of the handles either side of the tub and shifted to sit up, the water now at waist height for him. With a smile, Ethan kissed his cheek in thanks and proceeded to fill the jug with water, then shielded Mark’s eyes with his hand before washing the shampoo out of his hair. He did this a few times, watching the suds slide through the now-silky strands. Once satisfied that all of the shampoo was rinsed out, he grabbed the almond butter bar of soap near the taps and took hold of one of Mark’s arms, wetting the soap and then gliding it across his skin. As he did this a few times, making sure to get under Mark’s armpits and the back of his shoulders, he glanced up to make sure his boyfriend was okay and saw him staring right back at him. There was a hint of a smile pulling at Mark’s lips and Ethan cocked his head to one side as he used the jug to rinse away any extra soap suds, “You okay?”

“Never better,” Mark said softly, and Ethan smiled when his boyfriend reached out to pull him in for a gentle kiss. He let out a content sigh, one of Mark’s hands lifting to cup his cheek and stroke his jaw. When they pulled away, Ethan licked his lips and grinned. Mark chuckled at the look on his face, “I’ve missed having time to just do these things with you, Eth. To sit and enjoy your company, to talk about meaningless crap and cuddle and kiss with no cares about the world outside. Ya know?”

Ethan nodded his understanding and resumed his methodical task of washing Mark’s other arm, then his chest, belly and face. “It’s okay,” he assured him, a smile still on his face, “It’s not forever, right? Once this project is finished, we’ll have more time together again, like normal.”

“You’re right,” Mark agreed, leaning this way and that or shifting whenever Ethan required him to move to reach a different part of his body. When all that was left to clean was the lower half of his body, he took the soap from Ethan to do it himself since it was difficult for him to lean that far over without ending up falling into the tub. “Oh, that reminds me. I’m gonna need your help when we start shooting, if that’s okay? I’ve got a role with you in mind and I think you’ll like it.”

Ethan was sat cross-legged once more, leaning his elbow on his knee and his head in his hand as he watched Mark clean himself. He nodded and smiled, “Sure thing. What role is it?” He’d known that at some point he’d be asked to help out, it was only a matter of time.

“Well, you’ll be a kind of modern wizard, if that makes sense? Casting spells from your phone, teleporting using an app, that sort of thing,” Mark tried to explain, and Ethan nodded slowly, though he knew that he’d get more details when he signed his contract and got a formal briefing on the character. When it was just the two of them, either at his apartment or Mark’s house, work details beside talking about regular videos for their channels weren’t really discussed heavily - there had to be some kind of a line drawn between work and life when a lot of your work was done in your own home.

“Sounds good,” he decided, watching Mark work the soap between his toes and he couldn’t help but chuckle to himself at how oddly adorable it was. Sometimes the most mundane things turned out to be the ones that you remembered or admired most about the people you love.

Mark heard the chuckle and he glanced sideways at him, an eyebrow lifted in curiosity, “What’re you laughing at? Does a grown man cleaning his tootsies amuse you?”

“Nah, you’re just super adorable right now,” Ethan answered, grinning as Mark snorted at the idea. Seemingly, the bath had helped restore a little of his energy, since his next words were spoken in a familiar Markiplier Dudebro Voice.

“Adorable? Think you got it wrong, man. I’m too  _ built _ and  _ huge _ to be adorable, ya know what I’m sayin’?” Mark flicked some of his bath water at him playfully, his eyes narrowed and a smirk upon his lips.

“Uh huh, suuure,” Ethan rolled his eyes with a smile, flicking some water back at him, “Says the guy whose tummy hurt last week and he came to me wanting cuddles to make him feel better.” He crossed his arms over his chest, just  _ waiting _ for Mark to contest that.

Instead of arguing, however, Mark just thought back to that particular moment and nodded, pointing a finger at Ethan, “You got me there. Just don’t tell everyone, I’ve got a reputation to uphold.”

“Oh yeah, of course, I’m sure everyone has  _ totally _ forgotten all the times you’ve cried on camera when you’ve done a thank you video, right?” Ethan teased, shaking his head with a smile, “Anyway, if you’re done, we should get you to bed and I’ll make you some breakfast.”

“I can make myself food. Were you gonna go for a run? Don’t worry about me.”

“Nope, none of that. I’m making you breakfast in bed, no arguing, okay?” Ethan hopped up and grabbed a towel, handing it to Mark who’d climbed out of the tub whilst his back was turned. Whilst he wrapped it around himself, Ethan pulled the plug from the tub and let the water wash away down the drain. He followed Mark through to his bedroom, picking his discarded clothes up along the way and chucking them in the laundry basket. “Get comfy in your PJs, wrap up nice and cosy in bed and I’ll be back soon.” With that, he gave Mark’s waist a squeeze, then headed down to the kitchen. He listened out to make sure that Mark didn’t come downstairs, knowing he had a tendency to not want people going out of their way for him or fussing over him. Ethan fed Chica and Spencer their breakfast before making an omelette for Mark with cheese and onions in, as well as chives and some garlic. When he was satisfied that it was cooked to perfection he slid it onto a plate, poured some orange juice and put it all on a tray. “Enjoy breakfast, doggos,” he called to the two dogs as he walked up the stairs and to Mark’s bedroom. He was happy to see Mark laid in bed, hair mussed and his glasses now upon his face - he’d obviously taken out his contacts whilst Ethan was cooking. 

As he walked into the room, Mark looked up from his phone and sat up against the headboard, smiling warmly, “That smells so good, I was half tempted to come downstairs and eat it straight from the pan.”

“Glad you didn’t because I woulda kicked your ass back upstairs again,” Ethan giggled, moving to sit beside Mark on the bed after he’d laid the tray down in his lap. He moved the orange juice to the bedside table so Mark could eat without fear of it spilling on the bed and then shifted to give him a little space. “Hope you like it. I was tempted to make two but I’ve already eaten,” he chuckled, shaking his head at himself.

“You want some? Here,” Mark grinned, cutting a piece off and holding the fork out to Ethan, who rolled his eyes and blew on it before chewing and swallowing.

His eyebrows lifted as he enjoyed it and was mildly surprised at his creation, “Damn, I didn’t do too bad.  _ But _ this is for you, so eat up. You’ve been working hard all night and almost all day yesterday.”

“Sometimes it doesn’t feel like work,” Mark said honestly as he cut the omelette into another piece and then stuffed it into his mouth. He gave a groan of appreciation and closed his eyes for a moment. “Ethan, light of my life, I’m experiencing heaven in my mouth right now and it’s  _ not _ your dick for once,” he murmured as he finally swallowed, opening his eyes and looking at his boyfriend as if he was the physical embodiment of a heart eyes emoji.

Ethan snorted at that comment, choosing to leave out the crude part in his response. “I’m glad you like it. I put all of my love and adoration for you into that omelette.”

“Ah,  _ that’s  _ what I could taste,” Mark hummed, cutting and eating another piece of it. Ethan watched, trying not to be creepy, as he ate, smiling as the omelette easily disappeared bite by bite. He was happy that Mark had perked up a little, some of his spark returning to him from having a bath and a meal in bed. For that, Ethan was grateful. He knew that he wouldn’t be working these crazy long hours forever but it had gotten to the point where Mark needed taking care of for a bit, especially since Mark was always taking care of him. When his boyfriend was finished with the plate, he moved the tray off him and to the floor, then handed over the glass of orange juice which Mark sipped slowly. “What have you been up to whilst I’ve been out so much?” he asked softly, “Has Chica been good?”

“She’s been an angel as usual,” Ethan chimed, lifting a hand to move some of Mark’s hair more into place, ruffling it a little to get some more volume into the soft locks. He saw him look at him in amusement as he did this but didn’t make any comment on it. “I’ve not been doing anything out of the ordinary. Keeping to my video schedule, working out, cleaning this place up since you’re always so  _ messy _ …”

At that, Mark laughed and gave a shrug, “There’s no room for cleanliness in my brain, it’s all productivity and genius, you know that.”

“Of course,” Ethan agreed and, honestly, he didn’t  _ not _ agree. He truly believed that some people’s brains were just too busy doing other things that basics like keeping a tidy house came second to everything else that was going on inside their minds. He had his flaws too, everyone did, and that was okay! “Honestly, it’s been like being on vacation staying here,” he admitted with a chuckle, “I’ve got a pool out back if I ever feel like it, a huge kitchen to stuff my face and a super comfy bed to snooze in.”

“Well, don’t get too used to it, vacations only last for so long and then you get hit with reality again” Mark teased, and Ethan could’ve sworn that he saw a look of uncertainty and discomfort pass behind his boyfriend’s gaze. What was that all about? Maybe he was just too used to having his own space and didn’t want Ethan to get any ideas about them permanently sharing a living space… Or maybe he was just reading too much into it! Mark was tired and probably just wanted to go to sleep already, that was all. With his next words, the teasing voice was gone, “Really though, I’m glad you don’t mind doing this for me and I am super grateful that you can watch over Chica. She gets lonely if I’m gone for too long at a time.”

“Yeah, Spencer’s the same,” Ethan smiled, glad that the moment of awkward uncertainty had passed, “Plus, you know I’d do anything for you, Mark. This is nothing!”

“Anything, hmm?” Mark set the orange juice down on the bedside table again, one eyebrow lifted as he shifted closer to Ethan. There was no mistaking the look in his eyes or the tone of his voice as to what his intentions were and Ethan was not going to fall for that, not when Mark needed rest.

“Usually anything, yes, but right now that anything does not mean sex,” Ethan laughed, pushing at Mark’s cheek as he tried to attack his neck with kisses, “You need sleep otherwise you won’t be rested before you need to go and work again.”

With a grumble, Mark huffed and pulled back, sliding down in bed, “I’m not sure I like this responsible, wise Ethan. He’s boring.”

“Yeah, but he’s also right,” he giggled, leaning down to press a kiss to Mark’s forehead, “Maybe if we have time once you’ve slept I’ll treat you to something…  _ spicy _ .” At his own attempt at being playful he giggled even more, a grin on his face as Mark pouted up at him.

“Is that a promise?” his boyfriend asked, trying out his best puppy dog eyes on him.

“It’s a promise,” Ethan chuckled, shuffling to tuck Mark into bed properly, fluffing his pillow and making sure he was comfy. “I’m gonna go for a run now, okay? I’ll close the door so Chica and Spencer don’t bother you. I won’t be long.”

“Mm’kay, gorgeous,” Mark smiled up at him, leaning up to kiss him before he took his glasses off and set them down on the bedside table, “Love you.”

“I love you too,” Ethan said fondly, reaching a hand down to trace a finger across his jaw, then he made himself pull back. He watched Mark’s eyes slip closed and his heart ached with how much he loved this man, just how beautiful he was with his dark hair and eyes and how peaceful he looked when he slept. Sometimes he felt he might go mad with adoration. “Sleep well,” he whispered as he walked out of the door and closed it behind him, going to retrieve his sneakers and then head out for his run.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks everyone for your continued support, it truly means a lot!  
> I recommend watching Unus Annus so you can get a look at Mark's bath because GEEZ I've never needed something more in my life!!!  
> If you want updates on me writing behind the scenes, give my tumblr a follow: pure-shores.tumblr.com <3


End file.
